The Adversary
:"Are all the events that have occurred coincidence? Or is there some unseen hand guiding their every action? Chance or design? I know not which frightens me more." - Illuminate Void Kyuudoushi (仇同士, lit "The Adversary") is a hypothesis developed by Tōshirō Hitsugaya to explain the connections between the recent bout of wars, battles and attempts to destroy Soul Society and destabilize the infrastructure of all the two realms. It is believed that they have infiltrated and corrupted a number of individuals, organizations and powers in order to further their agenda, though what their motives are remains to be seen. Description & History It was during the war with Aizen that Tōshirō first began to speculate that an outside force was perhaps influencing his enemies actions. During the Diamond Dust Rebellion, Aizen acquired and was able to complete the Hogyoku, something that shouldn't have been possible, but it was only later that he realized that he had missed an important factor. Most notably was how Aizen whom admitted that even Kisuke was his superior in intellect was able to construct the same device. Even more startling was how Kisuke himself was able to design such an object in the first place. Given its capabilities the necessary research and development would have required an insurmountable level of resources, yet it had all be done in utter secrecy. This hypothesis was further tested as Tōshirō battled against the invasion of the Bount, the attempt to destroy Soul Society by using the Memory Rosary, the theft of the Oin, the development of the Bakkatou and attempted coup by the acting Captain Amagai, only to be ended by the continuation of the Thousand Year Blood War filled intermittently with the other numerous but equally challenging foes and encounters that have nearly brought Soul Society to an end. At first all of these events appear unrelated, but after more research into what caused these events, Tōshirō became more convinced of this organizations existence. He surmised that it would have been improbable for any of these people to obtain the necessary knowledge, and the skill to become such a menace. Furthermore to assert that Soul Society, the Shinsengumi and the multitude of organizations whose primary objective is peace-keeping somehow missed critical intel and was largely unable to deal with these situations as they presented themselves spoke volumes of their organization and behavior. Attacking when their allies would be unable to help, possessing resources they could not have gotten otherwise and obtaining powers far beyond their ability and those of an average Captain. Suspected Members *' ': is a likely suspect and possibly victim of this organization. It is unknown how or why Aizen was able to obtain the power he commanded without anyone knowing, along with the abilities his Zanpakutou developed. His plan to fuse the Hogyoku within himself was an unnecessary gambit, and his erratic behavior towards the end of the war only provides hints that perhaps he too was influenced by some other power. During the year of training to master his bankai Tōshirō couldn't understand how Aizen had actually lost. After reviewing the capabilities of all the Espada, a strategy that included their deployment within the confines of Soul Society would have been, should have been his strategy. The sheer damage they would have been able to inflict on its infrastructure and the casualties would have destroyed Soul Society before it could have mounted any sort of defense. Yet he took no such action, despite the fact that he could have taken over Soul Society and created the key at his leisure afterward seems highly suspect. Even with the Royal Guard, a preemptive strike would have given Aizen the opportunity he needed to establish a strong foothold in Soul Society and assassinate the Soul King with impunity given the abilities of his Zanpakutou. *' ': Tōshirō began to suspect Urahara when he realized the prominent role, almost like a destiny that Kurosaki Ichigo has had in regards to Soul Society. From the moment they met, Ichigo has been instrumental in every one of Soul Society's battles. He knew of Ichigo's heritage, he knew of his power yet did nothing as his family was attacked. He provided Rukia with the Gigai that would rob her of her power thus causing her to be considered a rogue agent by Soul Society when she failed to return. He was the one who inserted the Hogyoku within her, and it was his research notes that Aizen used to extract it. He was only supposed to have been strong as a Captain, yet the knowledge and power he has displayed, especially as he arrived to defeat Aizen after his battle with Ichigo was far too calculated to be coincidence. These suspicions' were only heightened upon the discovery of the man's involvement in the development of the Hogyoku, and the utter lack of knowledge of how he came about to create it. The research and resources necessary to construct such an object would have been immense, yet he did so in absolute secrecy. His penchant for appearing with a solution in hand at just right the time, in every battle cannot be considered coincidence. But until more information is revealed, Tōshirō will not reveal his thoughts. Behind the Scenes Category:Organizations